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GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – One local 19-year-old is showcasing his talents and creativity by building masks, body armor, and other gadgets that are DC comic book-inspired.
Christian McKone says this is something he’s been doing all his life. He says he enjoys making masks and hopefully can make it into a business.
“This is something I love to do, more than anything,” McKone said. “For me, art has always been an outlet for me, whereas I don’t talk very much, this is a way to express myself and this is something only I can do, that not many people can.”
McKone is a full-time student working on his associate’s degree in cyber security and information systems technology. He is also currently getting his side business up and running. That side business is creating and building props and costumes from TVs, movies, video games and more for cosplay.
“This is actually the helmet to the new cosplay I’m working on which goes with that armory,” McKone said while holding up a red mask.
“I also have half-faced masks,” McKone says while picking up another gold-colored mask. “This is Scorpion’s mask from Mortal Kombat 11. This is one of my more recent projects I’ve finished.”
McKone says he’s been doing this since he was 14. Within the past year, he’s built everything using a 3D printer.
“You can make helmets, with a 3D printer, you can create virtually anything you can possibly imagine. I don’t 3d model my own files, all the files, everything I’ve made, I’ve either found online or purchased,” McKone said.
Sometimes it takes McKone months to create these suits and masks. He, along with the help of a friend, spent four months creating a suit for his brother last year. He says hopefully he will be able to take his brother to Comic-Con in Raleigh this year with his new suit.
“My goal is to just share this with as many people as I can and hopefully I can bring some joy into some people’s lives by giving them something that’s really really cool, that’s been handcrafted, tons of time put into it, and have something they can really appreciate and kind of put on display for everyone,” McKone said.
